An award-winning filmmaker, Kase was born in New York City. She’s a Transgender Woman of Color, the offspring of working-class parents from the Dominican Republic. She’s fluent in Spanish and also speaks intermediate Portuguese. Kase is the first Trans Latinx Woman to join the Writers Guild of America.
Tribeca recently mentioned Kase and her film Trans Los Angeles on their Instagram stories, as a filmmaker and a film worthy of being supported. Legendary Trans icon Carmen Carrera and Stephanie Beatriz of Brooklyn Nine-Nine fame are attached to Trans Los Angeles.
Her feature screenplay I LOVE HATE, the recipient of The Sundance Institute Launch Grant, is being produced by Angel Lopez, a producer on Justin Simien’s DEAR WHITE PEOPLE and BAD HAIR; both of these films had their World Premiere at Sundance.
HBO has picked up distribution rights to FULL BEAT, Kase’s latest short film. Along with her short Trabajo, this marks the second time HBO distributes a film written and directed by Kase Peña.
Kase has been the recipient of some of the most acclaimed Fellowships
in the industry, including The Latino Lens Narrative Shorts Incubator, Film Independent Project Involve, Women-In-Film, the Ryan Murphy TV Directing Program, among many others. Sony Pictures Entertainment named Kase their Diversity Fellow for 2019.
Kase will be presenting at the Trauma-Informed Storytelling as a Portal to Heal workshop.
